VAA News

For the third year in a row, VAA employees raised funds and participated with their canine companions in the Walk for Animals, the nation’s largest human / animal walk fundraising event. Thousands of people, pets and other four-legged friends took part in this Animal Humane Society fundraising event to help support animals in need in our […]

THREE CONSIDERATIONS FOR INSTALLING A GROUND PILE Increasing crop yields per acre, inconclusive trade talks and low commodity prices slow the movement of corn and grain, leaving elevator owners to consider how best to add storage capacity while minimizing costs and protecting their product. Installing a temporary storage system (commonly known as a ground pile) […]

On May 18-19, the inaugural event allows the public free, behind-the-scenes access to 115 buildings in Minneapolis that are architecturally, culturally or socially significant. In a podcast, VAA’s Jeff Schrock, Paul Murphy and Bridget Reynolds of Dunwoody College of Technology discuss workforce development in the A/E/C industry and how agribusiness influenced Minneapolis’ history. Use Spotify, iTunes or LibSyn (Doors Open Minneapolis) […]

DESIGNING BUILDINGS FOR SNOW LOADS Looking out a window after a heavy snowfall, it’s easy to find beauty in a freshly covered landscape – frosted trees in a peaceful blanket of white. Driving across the plains of Minnesota after a snowfall, it’s easy to see the power of nature partially burying fences and roadways as […]

For 27 VAA employees, lunch was spent learning life-saving CPR / AED techniques. Saving a life can happen any place, any time at any age. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) kills more than 350,000 Americans every year and the national survival rate is less than 10 percent. Did you know SCA is not the same as […]

Since Human Resources (HR) Manager Mary Pettit, PHR, SHRM-CP, joined VAA five years ago, the number of employees increased by 65 percent and the firm’s uptick in HR initiatives have made it an even better place to work. Mary retired in mid-March after building upon the HR structure and policies in place by her predecessor. […]

WHAT IS A DHA? A Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) is a systematic review to identify and evaluate potential fire, flash fire, or explosion hazards associated with the presence of one or more combustible dusts and combustible particulate solids in a process facility. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) now requires DHAs to be performed on […]

Shawn Shahriar, PhD, PE, Principal / Sr. Structural Engineer, is our final “25 & Up” 2019 Club member.  Shawn’s influence on new employees, veteran engineers and VAA’s ag and industrial projects comes from the same place – an intense drive to help and the heart to do what it takes to make it happen. A […]

After almost 38 years, Gene is retiring from VAA at the end of 2018. A mentor to the next generation and a foothold in VAA’s agribusiness projects, his influence on the firm’s culture has not gone unnoticed. A graduate from Minneapolis’ Dunwoody College of Technology and a former VAA Partner, Gene’s career began at a design-build firm […]

VAA celebrated the season with an ugly sweater day and a Partner-served luncheon in the Plymouth, MN office. An annual tradition, the lunch is a way for our leadership to take a moment to engage with each employee and share gratitude for collective efforts throughout the year. This sincerity is also paired with a light-hearted […]